I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Cheryl, Noles, and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch 6

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I got ready for school like normal. Before leaving the house, I sent Edward a text asking when during the week he was available for dinner. I was hoping to make him a nice home cooked meal to thank him for everything he had done. I didn't worry about it when I didn't hear back from him right away. I knew he had a late night.

When I got home at the end of the day, I was disappointed when I checked my phone and still there was no reply. Before I could try and call him, my phone rang, and it was Alice.

"Bella, you'll never believe it!" she squealed.

"The Spice Girls are having a reunion tour and they're coming to Seattle," I joked.

"No…at least I don't think so. I got a new job…without even really looking. The slut from the hotel got fired and they called me, of all people, to replace her as wedding/party coordinator," she told me.

"Wow, Alice, that's great," I exclaimed.

"Did you…I hate to ask; but did you tell them about me?" She suddenly sounded uncharacteristically unsure.

"I mentioned you as the only family on my side for the wedding. I never said anything about you wanting to be a wedding coordinator," I promised.

"It just feels so surreal. It feels like I've been trying to break through forever," she said.

"Well you deserved a break. Congratulations. We should celebrate this week. In fact, I was going to call you, I need help getting a dress for a charity dinner for this weekend."

"Bella, it's Tuesday and you're only telling me now! Who are you going with?" Alice exclaimed.

"I only found out about last night, and this was my first chance to talk to you. I'm going with Edward," I defended myself.

"Edward as in fake husband Edward?" Alice asked.

"Apparently, real husband Edward. The marriage was valid after all," I told her.

There was a brief moment of silence before she started speaking so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "Oh. My. God. BELLA! Did you forget how to use a phone? You're supposed to tell your best friend when you get married."

"I did tell you over tacos in a parking lot, remember," I said sheepishly.

"You know what I mean." I could practically hear her roll her eyes.

"I'm sorry life has been crazy." I then went on to explain everything that happened yesterday.

"Unbelievable. Mike is such an asshole jerk. I hope he's rotting in a jail cell," Alice stated when I was done.

"I don't know," I told her. "I do know I plan on never having contact with him again. I'm getting my locks changed, so he won't be able to get back in."

"Good. But if he's not in jail…never mind," she said quickly.

"Never mind what?" I asked.

She sighed heavily. "You remember when I said Edward had a connection to the Masen family? What if they iced Mike?"

"Iced…as in killed? I think that's a bit extreme, don't you?" I scoffed. "I haven't seen any sort of evidence that says mafia. Edward's brother is massive. He probably just had to threaten Mike to get my things back."

"I guess. But I can't shake the feeling something is off. But I'll let it go... for now. I have tomorrow night free. Want to go shopping after school?" she suggested.

"That will work for me," I agreed.

When I hung up with Alice, I tried calling Edward and the call went immediately to voicemail. At least I could tell it was indeed his phone, by recognizing his voice on the recording.

"Hi, it's me…Bella. I was hoping you got my message about dinner tonight. Call me back." I ended the call.

A few moments later, I got a text. Sorry. I have to work late.

I tried texting him back right away. How about Thursday night?

I didn't hear back the rest of the evening.

NA

When I returned back from school on Wednesday there was a flurry of activity going on in the apartment building. Outside there were vans from a security company and a painter. Tyler was on the sidewalk with a box in hand, so I walked up to him to find out what was going on. He took one look at me and practically ran across the street, nearly getting hit by a car. I blinked in confusion, wondering why he took off, and I was also curious to why he had a black eye and busted lip.

As I entered the building and looked around, a tall man with dark brown hair and broad shoulders was standing outside Tyler's door. He looked up from his clipboard and gave me a nod.

"Ms. Swan?" he asked.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously.

"Riley O'Donnell. I'm the building's new super." His blue eyes twinkled. "My boss bought the building this morning and has been making changes. Starting with security. New locks for everyone and a buzzer security system so you can control who you let in the building. Here is your set of keys as well as the copy of your new rent information."

I sucked in a breath as I opened the letter. I wondered how much rent was going to go up. I was shocked to see that my rent went down, even more than what I first started paying. I folded the paper and looked back up at Riley.

"Did, by any chance, Edward Cullen buy the building?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Guilty. He also asked me to hand deliver this to you. He said to tell you to use this card for any purchases you may need." He handed me a brown envelope.

I took it from him. "Thank you. And it was nice meeting you, Riley."

"You too, Ms. Swan." He nodded.

"You can call me Bella," I told him.

"Not without the boss' permission," he answered me.

I raised an eyebrow but continued to the elevator to my apartment. I noticed it looked like the floor and the walls of it were scrubbed clean. When I got to my door, I noticed a new, stronger door. I shook my head in amusement. He was going overboard with this whole protection thing.

I changed my clothes then tried to call him while I waited for Alice. My call went to voicemail to my annoyance, and I left a message. Seconds later, I received a short text saying he was in a meeting, and I was welcome.

A loud buzzing sound made me jump. It took me a moment to realize it was the new security system. After I figured out what button to hit, her face appeared on a visual screen.

"Hey, Alice. I'll be right down," I told her.

"How did you know that it was me and when did all this happen?" She frowned.

"Today and there's a camera, I can see you," I answered.

"There is?" She started to fix her hair.

I laughed as I grabbed my things and then headed for the elevator. I met her on the front steps, and she was staring intently at the call board.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled.

"Trying to figure out where the camera is. What's with the upgrades?" She turned away as we walked to her car.

"Edward bought the building apparently," I explained.

"Is he moving in?" she questioned.

"I have no idea. I haven't talked to him since Monday, except for a couple of short texts." I shrugged.

"How is that any sort of relationship, let alone a marriage?" Alice looked unhappy.

"It isn't," I agreed. "I'm starting to get annoyed."

"You deserve better. We'll find you're the perfect dress so he can't ignore you. But make sure he has to work for your attention," she advised.

"I'm not going to play games. We're both too old for that," I disagreed.

"You don't have to play games. I'm just saying don't be so forgiving before he actually realizes ignoring you isn't acceptable. If you're his girlfriend…wife. He can't use you when it's convenient for him."

"That I can agree with." I nodded. then looked out the window. "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the mall."

"I was thinking of hitting up some secondhand shops that I know of. I've gotten real deals from rich and snobby types, who wear it once then get rid of it. You can get an awesome dress at a great steal."

"Works for me," I agreed.

The store we entered was neat and looked like an average store, not a secondhand shop to me. The racks were tidy and not overly stuffed, and the clothes I saw looked brand new. Alice led the way to a far corner.

"The great thing about this shop is all the proceeds go to charity and the workers are all volunteers, so it cuts down on expenses," Alice explained as she started to shift through a rack.

"Which one?" I asked.

"We give it to a women and children's shelter," a middle-aged woman spoke up. She had deep green eyes and auburn hair. She placed some dresses on a rack and turned to us with a warm smile. "Can I help you ladies look for anything in particular?"

"I need a dress for a charity dinner I'm going to for the children's hospital on Saturday night. I'm not sure how fancy it should be, this would be my first time," I told her.

"Most ladies wear long dresses. A few of the younger more interesting ones wear shorter," she answered.

"More interesting?" I asked.

"I think that's a nice way of saying slutty." Alice giggled.

"Alice," I chastised.

"Well, she's not wrong." The woman chuckled. "I've been going to this dinner for years since my husband is a doctor. There are always a few who made me wonder."

"How about these?" Alice held up three dresses, a deep red, a dark blue, and a black.

"Is there a changing room?" I asked.

"Right over there." The saleswoman pointed.

In the end, I ended up choosing the blue dress. Alice thought the black made me look too old. The red she loved on me, but I thought it made me look slutty. The blue hugged my upper body enough that I felt attractive but still demure enough for an important event. Alice found me a pair of low heels while I got redressed.

As I went up to the register, I pulled my new card out of the envelope, inside was also a new driver's license. I rolled my eyes when I saw it said Isabella Cullen and stuffed it back in. Alice gasped loudly beside me; at first, I thought it was about the license, but she was staring at the black card.

"Where did you get that?" she asked.

"Edward. He insisted on paying for the dress," I told her.

"If I knew you had that I would've taken you to Saks," she squealed.

"No, Alice. I'm not going to take advantage of him. I feel bad enough that I'm accepting this."

The saleswoman gave me a kind smile. "Did you find everything you need?"

"I did, thank you." I placed my things on the counter and held out my card when she was ready.

She took it and paused as she read the front. Her brow furrowed and she frowned slightly. "Do you have an I.D., dear?" she asked.

"Um…yeah. I pulled the new card and gave it to her.

She paused briefly, looking at it before she ran it through. "Thank you for coming. Maybe we will see each other this weekend."

"Maybe. Have a good night," I told her.

Once we were away from the store, I turned to Alice. "Was it just me or was it weird at the end?"

"It's probably because you used a credit card without any limits at a thrift store," Alice answered.

"No limit," I whispered under my breath. The thought of being in control of a card like that made me nervous.

When we arrived back to my apartment, the first thing I noticed was my truck was gone. In its place was a black fancy looking car that looked a lot like Edward's, but his was silver.

"Did you get a new car?" Alice asked when she saw me staring.

"No." I spotted Riley outside, having a smoke.

I got out of her car and headed to him. "Where's my truck?"

"Ms. Swan, I have something for you." He held out a ring with car keys.

"That doesn't answer my question." I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with the boss." He jangled the keys.

"I'll do that." I grabbed them from him.

I marched back to Alice and got my things from her backseat. She rolled down her window to speak to me.

"Who was that?" she asked, looking behind me.

"My new super," I answered.

"He's cute." She giggled.

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were interested in the hotel manager."

She pouted. "He acted like he didn't know who I was and was totally cold to me. Which I guess it's just as well since he's my boss now. Did you find out about your truck?"

"Apparently it was Edward's doing, so if you'd excuse me, I have to make a phone call," I told her.

When I got into the apartment, I hung up my dress and tried calling Edward. It went straight to voicemail, only pissing me off more.

"Where is my truck? Call me back," I demanded.

Your truck wasn't safe. He texted me about ten minutes later.

I responded back. You can't take someone's truck and exchange it out without talking to them first. Why won't you call me?

I'm working. Your truck is at my brother's. He will fix it up for you. Sleep well, my bride, and please don't be difficult.

Difficult? I'm being difficult? Well he's being a controlling ass, who can't take a five-minute phone call.

NA

On Thursday, since I didn't hear from Edward, I set up an appointment with one of my students' mothers. I knew she was a hard-working single mother and I had hoped she'd take up the offer for the free internet service and computers. But she had sent back the consent form with a no.

There was a knock on the doorframe, and a tall blonde entered, looking worn out. Shane waved to her from the corner of the room where he was playing with blocks.

"Hi, Mommy." He waved happily.

"Hi, baby. Ms. Swan," she greeted me.

"It is good to see you, Ms. Mallory. Please, you can call me Bella."

"Then please call me Lilly," she asked.

"Would you like to take a seat?" I gestured to the chairs at my meeting group table.

She sat gracefully in the small chair and crossed her legs. "Is something wrong with Shane?"

I sat down across from her. "No, as I said on the phone, he's a good student. This is about the information I sent home the other day on the internet service and Chrome books. I was hoping to change your mind."

"I don't want my son to get addicted to screens. Kindergarten is way too young for needing computers for school. Plus, I really don't like the idea of accepting charity," she said.

I folded my hands in front of me. "Back when we were kids I would've agreed with you, but times have changed. This computer would be for educational purposes only. Next year, they will be starting to learn to type, and the first-grade teachers like to use educational sites as well. Often in lieu of snow days, we've switched to virtual days. The computers given to students would be set up with school accounts and they won't have contact with the outside world, if you're worried about scammers or him playing other non-educational games," I explained.

"I see." She still seemed reluctant, she looked over at her son with a sad smile.

"We are grateful for this donation, and your family won't be the only one who would receive help with the internet service. No one outside of you, me, the tech teacher, and possibly the principal would know you're receiving extra assistance." I hoped to persuade her.

"Okay. If you really think he will need it for his education," she finally agreed.

"I do." I pushed the permission form toward her.

She signed her name and stood up. "Shane, put the blocks away and get your things."

He hurried to clean up then grabbed his jacket and bag. "Can we have Mcdonald's for dinner?"

"What's the rule?" she asked him.

"Saturday night is junk food. Other nights you cook." His nose wrinkled.

"Hey, my cooking isn't that bad." She looked amused.

"But you don't give toys." He pouted.

"You have plenty of toys. Say good-bye to Ms. Swan," his mother instructed.

"Bye, see you tomorrow," he yelled as he headed for the door.

"Bye, Shane." I giggled as I watched Lilly rushing to keep up with him in her heels.

NA

Before I knew it, it was Saturday evening. I debated several times whether to back out and give him a taste of his own medicine. Chances were, he might not even show up. About five minutes before he was due to arrive, my buzzer rang and I checked and saw it was him. I let him in and waited for his knock.

I opened the door then crossed my arms and tried to ignore how handsome he looked in his tux. "Well, it's nice to see you didn't fall off the face of the earth, hubby."

His lips twitched. "My bride, you look beautiful this evening." He pulled my hand away from my body and kissed it.

"Complimenting me won't get you out of trouble," I told him.

"And why am I in trouble?" He looked amused.

"For ignoring my calls, avoiding me, and stealing my truck." I counted off on my fingers. "It's not being difficult when you expect someone to communicate with you. You were the one that pushed for this relationship. You wanted to stay married and act like a couple. But since I agreed, you pretty much went from pushing to a disappearing act."

"I told you your truck is fine. How it hasn't broken down and left you stranded is a miracle. And I answered by texting you back. That's not avoiding you, I've been busy," he said stubbornly.

I hesitated but still felt he wasn't fully into making this work. "Edward, if you've changed your mind, just say so."

We stared at each other silently. After a few moments, I sighed and started to close the door. He caught it and stepped all the way through before shutting it. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and held it out to me.

"Peace offering," he said.

"I don't want jewelry as an apology," I told him.

"It's not an apology. I actually got it for you because I knew you said you didn't have any jewelry, and I didn't want you to be the only lady there tonight without something sparkly around your neck." He opened the box and showed me a beautiful heart necklace with a Celtic knot, and in the center a sapphire.

"How did you know my dress was blue?" I questioned.

"I didn't. I knew it was your birthstone. May I?" He lifted it out of its satin lining and dangled it.

I nodded and turned my back to him, lifting my curls. His fingers brushed my neck and he clasped it on then he placed a soft kiss below my ear.

I swallowed roughly. "You're seriously confusing me."

"I could say the same." His breath wafted against my skin.

I turned and looked up at him as I fingered the charm. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He gave me a soft smile. "Are you ready?"

I nodded and grabbed the dress coat Alice had lent me. It was on the shorter side but at least it was nicer than my parka. I was surprised when Edward took it from me and helped slip it on. I was getting dizzy from his mixed signals.

We rode the elevator in silence, and he looked deep in thought and was staring off into the distance. He didn't speak again until we were in the car.

He turned down the radio. "I'm new at this. This whole…relationship thing."

"You never had a girlfriend?" I asked in shock. I turned my head to look at him.

"I've dated but nothing ever serious. Nor was I ever a monk. But I've never had what would be called a girlfriend. Still don't, my bride." He smiled slightly.

"I'm surprised," I admitted.

"My lifestyle wasn't conducive for one," he said.

"And now?" I asked.

"Now…" He seemed so conflicted. "I have no idea what I'm doing. Or what I should do."

"At least you're being honest with me now. We can start by actually talking, not texting. Also by having dinner together," I suggested.

"Sex." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yes and sex." I shook my head in amusement.

"So you're not opposed to intimacy?" He glanced at me.

"I never was. Have dinner with me this week," I asked, hoping I wasn't going to get a brush off.

"I have a meeting Monday night. How about Tuesday?" he asked.

"Tuesday will be perfect." I smiled.

A/N: I noticed there has been some confusion on who Edward's parents are. Edward Sr and Elizabeth Masen are his parents. Carlisle and Esme Cullen are his Uncle and Aunt. Esme and Elizabeth are sisters. Edward uses Cullen for business purposes. This was mentioned back in chapter 3.

Bella and Edward did talk it out this chapter. We shall see soon if it sticks.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.